El Bolsón and the surrounding region
El Bolsón, which is located in a sheltered valley in the Andean Cordillera near the frontier with Chile, has a population of around 18,000 inhabitants. It is situated in the south-west of the Province of Río Negro bordering the Province of Chubut. The town hosts a great variety of services and is considered to be the gateway to the 'Comarca Andina del Paralelo 42°’ (The Andean Region of the 42nd Parallel) which includes the settlements of Lago Puelo, El Manso, El Maitén, Cholila, El Hoyo and Epuyén.
The peculiar geographical form of this valley makes you feel immediately at home. The people who live there reflect this hospitable feeling as they are always ready to lend a hand and do all they can to ensure that visitors are occasioned the opportunity of visiting the best places, of tasting all the delicious regional products and of appreciating the special idiosyncrasy of their town.
El Bolsón declared a ‘NO NUCLEAR ZONE’ in 1984 through a municipal edict and sometime after as ‘IN FAVOUR OF LIFE’. In 1991, it was declared an 'ECOLOGICAL MUNICIPALITY’ by the provincial government of Río Negro. These declarations are a result of a particular way of life which goes back to the early days of the settlement.
The surrounding area, or La Comarca as it is called locally, is made up of several different communities which make their living from various agricultural and cattle raising activities. All the localities are closely linked to each other by economy, social life and cultural activities. The main activities are jam and beer making, crafts, organic produce and tourism.
El Bolsón and its climate
This fertile valley is situated at around 340 meters above sea level on the 42◦ Parallel and lies at the foot of the Andes mountain range.
The presence of the mountain chain to the west and the long slopes of the mountains to the east give rise to a very pleasant climate with long, sunny days in summer and pleasant temperatures in spring and autumn.
In winter, the temperature is moderate with abundant precipitations of rain and snow. The climate, therefore, allows for many activities to take place the year round.
How to get there
Location
El Bolsón is situated in the west of the Province of Río Negro on the border with the Province of Chubut and only seven kilometers from the Chilean border.
The paved highway, Ruta 40 (ex 258), passes through the town. El Bolsón is halfway between Bariloche, 120 km to the north and Esquel, 170m to the south.
How to get there
By car
From the north: Take any highway to Bariloche. The shortest route from Buenos Aires is Ruta 5 which passes through the town of Santa Rosa in the Province of La Pampa. From Bariloche, travel 120kms south along the paved Ruta 40 Sur (ex258).
From the south: Take any highway to Esquel. From Esquel take Ruta 40 to the north. At the crossroads 10km outside Esquel take the left hand fork towards 'El Maitén’. There are 170km of paved road to El Bolsón passing through Epuyén and El Hoyo.
Another option from the south is the Ruta Provincial N° 71. There are nearly 200km of mainly gravel road (though the road is in the process of being paved) between Esquel and El Bolsón, passing through the National Park 'Los Alerces' and the small town of Cholila.
By bus
From the north:Take any of the bus companies with a service to Bariloche. From Bariloche there is a frequent bus service to El Bolsón supplied by the bus companies Vía Bariloche, Andesmar, Don Otto, Vía TAC and Mar y Valle. The ticket price is around $45ARS (January 2013). Tickets can be purchased in the Bus Terminal in Bariloche near the Train Station Tel: 0054 294 4432860
From the south:Take any of the bus companies with a service to Esquel. From Esquel there are several daily bus services to El Bolsón supplied by the bus companies Vía Bariloche, Andesmar, Don Otto, Vía TAC and Mar y Valle travelling on Ruta 40 Sur towards the north.
Tickets can be purchased in the Bus Terminal in Esquel Tel: 0054 2945-451584.
There are several weekly bus services which run along the Ruta Provincial n°71 with the bus company Transporte Esquel.
From Chile:There are several daily buses to and from Puerto Montt, Osorno and Valdivia run by the bus company, Andesmar.
By train
The Patagonia Train between Bariloche and Viedma runs once or twice a week. However, please check for up-to-date information. Bariloche Train Station next to the Bus Terminal, Tel: 0054 294 4423172
By plane
The nearest airports are:
Bariloche (BRC):Daily flights from Buenos Aires and other Argentine cities and from abroad, mainly charter flights from Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. Air companies: Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral, LADE, LAN and TAM. Bariloche Airport: Tel: 0054 294 426162
Esquel (EQS): Domestic flights with the companies LADE and Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral. Esquel airport: Tel: 0054 2945-451676.
Map of the area
The Local Produce of El Bolsón
Fruit, honey, artisanal beer, handicrafts....all gifts of the earth fashioned by clever and loving hands.
The local inhabitants of this fertile land sheltered by the mountains and constantly irrigated by spring water devote their energy and creativity to providing all kinds of artisanal products for the visitor.
El Bolsón is famous for its beer, brewed with barley and top quality hops, the latter being cultivated in the region. Honey and soft fruits are also farmed and jams, fruit juices and liqueurs are made from the produce. The artisans hand craft a wide range of articles for daily use as well as items for home decoration, entertainment and clothing.
In these pages you can find a list of the things produced in the area together with the contact details of the producers.
Honey production
The honey produced in the region stands out for its special taste, resulting from the different flowers of the native plants and fruit cultivated in the area. A growing number of producers in the area are taking up this activity so supplying local demand and even selling the excess to others parts of the country.
The transparency, taste and quality of the honey produced in the region are highly appreciated by the large producers in the center of Argentina who like to blend it with the honey produced there. The local producers work on a small scale producing organic honey and taking care of the environment. Other products like royal jelly, propolis and pollen are also marketed by some of the bee keepers.
Micro-breweries
The Chamber of Micro Brewers was formed some years back due to the continuing growth of small scale breweries in the region.
Against the backdrop of the local production of hops which are an essential ingredient, the local beer makers use different techniques.
More than a dozen micro-breweries belonging to the Chamber and other breweries offer visitors a range of beers particular to this part of Argentina.
Apart from the traditional pale lager type beer you can also try tawny (best bitter), dark (stout) and smoked varieties and even some with fruit aggregates like raspberry, red and blackcurrants and other soft fruit.
